For many years, reusable cloth diapers have been utilized in swaddling infants prior to toilet training. Early on diapers were fabricated of a large square of absorbent cloth material which were secured to infants after having been folded into a triangular shape utilizing a plurality of safety pins. When such diapers became soiled with either urine or feces or both, diapers were initially rinsed in a toilet bowl and then subjected to a full laundering and sanitation. Such laundering and sanitation is often provided by contract services outside the home.
In the mid twentieth century, practitioners in the art developed a substantial number of disposable diapers which became extremely popular. Such disposable diapers are typically fabricated of a liquid impervious plastic outer lamination together with a plurality of absorbent interior layers of paper and batting. A variety of improvements have been made to disposable diapers to enhance their appeal and popularity. For the most part, the primary attraction of disposable diapers for users is the avoidance of the need to pre-rinse a soiled diaper prior to cleaning. The advantages of simply rolling up a soiled diaper and disposing of it in the trash are substantial.
Despite the convenience and popularity of disposable diapers, a substantial resurgence in the use of reusable cloth diapers has continued and increased. This resurgence has been energized largely by concerns for health and comfort of the infant and the more recently evolving concerns of waste management and ecology. The “green” movement within most of the industrialized nations of the world has motivated many individuals to seek to reduce and minimize the amount of trash which they create in their normal daily lives.
While the use of reusable diapers are believed to generally improve the comfort, health and sanitation of infants and to improve the ecology of the society, the situation remains that the use of such reusable diapers necessitates the often unpleasant task of pre-rinsing the soiled diaper in a toilet bowl prior to complete laundering.